Nissan Motor Co. will launch its first hybrid car, the Tino Hybrid wagon, for limited sales next month on a first-come first-served basis, the automaker said Thursday.
The new environmentally friendly vehicle features Nissan's advanced hybrid propulsion system, which makes use of a 1,800cc gasoline engine, two electric traction motors and a lithium-ion battery.
The hybrid system has improved fuel economy two-fold, enabling the new Tino wagon to run the same distance on half the gasoline necessary for conventional Tino models, which run only on gasoline. Carbon dioxide emissions have also been cut by 43 percent in the new model.
The Tino Hybrid is priced at 3.15 million yen, but a maximum subsidy of 500,000 yen is available from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry because the wagon is a low-emission vehicle, they said.
Nissan at first plans to make 100 units and will accept advance purchase orders over the Internet on April 14.